


The Kidnapping Job

by deprough



Series: The Mandalorian's Jobs [2]
Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, Polygamy, Strangers to Family, Twi'leks (Star Wars), Violence, canon compliant through ep4, if so slowest of burns, mentions of life as a slave, probably a romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:27:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26547502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deprough/pseuds/deprough
Summary: Always in search of credits, the Mandalorian sets down on an agrarian planet in search of work. It's a simple plan: find a bounty to collect, collect it, profit. Things don't go as planned.
Relationships: Baby Yoda & The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV), Mandalorian & OFC, Mandalorian & The Child, OFC/OMC/OFC
Series: The Mandalorian's Jobs [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1588885
Kudos: 24





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've been managing to write, and like everyone else, I'm looking forward to Season 2. The plan is to get this one, the next story, and my version of the Gunslinger up by the time Season 2 starts. For November, I'm planning to Nano, so it may be after the New Year before the next story is done. I have a plan though, and that's half the battle.

The first problem became apparent the moment he showed her the shower and handed her clean clothing. She took them from him in the same motion she passed him The Kid. With an eager smile, she whipped off her dirty, sheer almost-shirt and dropped it on the ground.

He turned his back -- after a second of shock which negated the need to have turned his back in the first place. Still, it was the sanity-preserving thing to do. “When you’re done,” he said, his voice taut, “come up to the cockpit. We need to set some rules.”

“ _Ka_ ,” she chirped cheerfully, and by her tone, she had missed his discomfort completely.

Mando climbed up to the cockpit, putting The Kid in his seat. Sinking into his chair, he busied himself with checking the status of the ship. After a second, he realized that things were suspiciously silent, so he glanced back to find The Kid hanging off the edge of the seat. With a sigh, he reseated him and handed him the silver chew-ball that was The Kid’s primary distraction. Even with that in his mouth, the wee one still looked back through the open cockpit door inquisitively.

“Don’t get attached,” Mando told him, drawing those expressive black eyes to him. “She’s not staying.”

The Kid giggled as if he’d said something funny.

A slap of bare feet on the floor gave plenty of warning, so Mando wasn’t caught being laughed at by an alien baby that didn’t reach his kneecap. Parjii ducked into the cockpit with a smile on her face, dressed in an overall that covered far more than her dancer’s outfit, thankfully. Mando didn’t examine his relief too closely.

The Kid already knew the drill and extended his hands up in a request to be picked up. She complied with a laugh, plucking the ball deftly out of his mouth with a lekku and dropping it in Mando’s lap. “No, beebee, bad in mouth.”

“He’s fine with it,” Mando said, feeling irritation at this change in routine as he picked it up and gave it back to the little one.

She looked sideways at him but didn’t argue. He did spot her grabbing the ball again and incorporating it into her game with her lekku, which kept it away from the child anyway. “You want talk?”

“Yes, we need some rules. The _Crest_ isn’t a huge ship. You need to tell me when you need to use the head or shower, and I’ll stay out of that area until you’re done. I’ll do the same.” He studied her for comprehension, hoping he wouldn’t need to resort to gestures. “I’ll set up a bed for you in the cargo bay. Understand?”

“You not want see me in head or shower. You making place to rest.” She tossed The Kid into the air, drawing a delighted squeal out of him. “What name beebee?”

“The Kid,” Mando told her.

She grinned at the little one. “ _Kei’nata tun, Thakhid_. I call Parjii.” She tossed him in the air again and started to talk to him in Twileki.

“You can cook for yourself in the mess below,” he told her, though the mess was just a single hot plate, small toaster, and a cabinet for food. “I have rations, too.”

“I clean too?” she asked guilelessly. 

“What? No. Don’t touch my armor or weapons,” he said sternly.

“Clean ship?” She frowned. “I help you.” Her chin rose proudly. “I work hard.”

“No. Just stay out of the way.” He paused, glanced down at The Kid and added, “If you want to keep him occupied, that’d be help enough.”

She nodded, looking pleased, and went back to playing with The Kid. 

“You can stay on the _Crest_ until I find a safe place to leave you,” he told her firmly, which wiped away her smile. “Do you understand?”

“I stay until you find safe,” she answered, her voice soft. She tossed the child into the air again, and his happy shriek brought back her smile. 

Satisfied that she comprehended the situation, Mando checked the ship’s readings, confirmed it was all in the green, and went to set up a space for her, well away from his.

_No good deed…_

~ * ~ * ~

It took two weeks to get to Norrissi. Mando had picked it for similar reasons to Sorgon; it was remote and agrarian, unlikely to have a lot of Imperial infrastructure. Even the largest of the cities were small, a few thousand people. Most of the population was spread over the green lands, creating the crops that were the majority of the planet’s export.

Just ten days, but in that time, Mando received a thorough reminder on why he didn’t do partners. Parjii didn’t do anything wrong, necessarily, but he’d grown very used to silence and solitude. She was not silent, always talking or singing to The Kid. It wasn’t bad, just unsettling to always hear another voice. 

He could admit to himself that her cooking would be missed once she left them. She refused rations passionately, running through his other stores with surprising efficiency. She always shared with him and The Kid. Some of it bordered on too spicy for him -- he was ready for that after sharing food with Qin and Xi’an -- something of an impressive feat given the lack of spices in his cabinet. Of the three, she benefited the most; the hollows of her clavicle filled out, and Mando couldn’t see her tendons anymore.

Her care for The Kid was great, bordering on spoiling, but Mando allowed it. The Kid deserved a bit of doting, and it seemed to come naturally to Parjii. He suspected that she’d cared for small children before. She was also good at following directions, respecting his privacy and not touching anything on the _Crest_ outside of the kitchen, head, and her cot. He’d had worse passengers -- he’d had worse _Twi'lek_ passengers. Xian had prepared him for a nightmare with Parjii, but the former slave was nothing like her fellow Twi’lek.

He thought at times that he might even be able to get used to Parjii being around, but he didn’t hold onto the thought. She had already had a traumatic life; she deserved better than looking over her shoulder for danger. Knowing her did mean Mando had another adult who could take in The Kid, potentially. If he could get her settled on a safe planet, and then take care of the Guild’s hunters on The Kid, she’d be a good person to take care of The Kid, too. Watching her play with the little womprat, he knew she’d agree to be his caregiver.

Those thoughts buzzed around in the back of his mind as he guided the _Crest_ to the main spaceport. It sat hunkered next to the largest city, Sycro, a gray blister against the bright colors of the city and the green farms around it. While the lines of the spaceport were laid out in the standard rectangles, the streets of the city spread out in six-spoked wheels. Given the hexagonal shapes to the brightly-painted buildings, Mando suspected a fascination with the number six. He landed in an open port and turned to Porjii, sitting behind him with The Kid in her lap. 

“You two stay on the ship,” he ordered. “I’m going to pay for our berth and resupply.”

“ _Ka_ ,” Parjii said, her golden eyes wide as she hugged The Kid closer.

The spaceport was run by two human men. One seemed to be managing the resources, while the other made decisions and set prices. Mando paid them once he’d bartered a price he liked and asked, “If someone were looking to make some credits, where should they go?”

Colk, the decision-maker, hesitated, looked Mando up and down, and rubbed his chin. “I mean no insult, sir, when I say that a man like yourself should be looking for work at Keth’s bar.” He gave Mando directions. “But you won’t find anyone with work until after the festival.”

“Festival?” Mando asked, silently cursing his bad timing.

“Marriage festival. It’s something the natives do every cycle,” Colk admitted. “I’m not sure if everyone is getting married again, or they’re renewing vows, but it seems like everyone does it.”

Mando thought of a certain pretty Twi’lek in his ship and asked tersely, “Do they involve outsiders?”

“No, no, it’s nothing like that. Strictly natives-only,” Polt, the other man, assured him. “They just shut down all non-essential stuff for a week or so. Started yesterday.”

“Four days,” Mando muttered, then glanced up at the two men. “Thank you.”

Miracle of miracles, Parjii had listened to him and stayed aboard, though she was hovering near the entrance. The Kid had grabbed a lekku in each hand, and Mando winced as The Kid pulled hard enough to make Parjii whimper. “Knock it off,” he grumbled, which distracted the rugrat long enough for Parjii to free herself. “We’re safe here. If you stay in the port, no one should bother you.”

“Where go?” Parjii asked nervously.

“Scouting,” he said, hoping he sounded reassuring. “Checking this place out, seeing if it’s safe for you.”

“Safe.” She swallowed and looked down at The Kid. “To stay?”

“Yes,” he told her. She didn’t look at him, and after a pause, he left. Clearly, she was nervous about being settled, which was understandable. She liked The Kid, too, and Mando felt a little bad about it. Leaving the child with her would only endanger her, which would only negate all the effort he’d put into rescuing her. 

Mind half-stuck on his little Twi’lek problem, Mando stepped out into the market before realizing where he was. The bursts of color he’d seen during landing were long banners hung from the hexagonal buildings. They were every color imaginable, and covered in designs that reminded him of signets. He wondered if these served the same purpose. The buildings were likewise brightly colored, painted over the adobe exterior in a multitude of hues.

Even if he hadn’t been told, Mando would have known they were in the midst of a festival; there were street vendors hawking food, ribbons, flowers, and small gifts. They were doing a good business, too, with the local currency and goods changing hands freely. Musicians or performers played at every street intersection, drawing crowds who were generous with their tips.

Mando bought a bit of food, pleased that the festival mood allowed the vendors to be a little more lenient in bartering. He thought about getting one of the toys he saw in a booth, but they were made of cloth and wood, and Mando was concerned about their survivability given The Kid’s penchant for chewing. 

He walked the length of town and back, slowly relaxing. The natives were tall and wide, with smiles that crossed the width of their blocky heads. Everyone seemed to be in a celebration mood. 

His own mood shifted when he selected a street at random and walked down it. The lanes between houses were narrower, with choke points and ambush spots aplenty. The hunter in him assessed the darkened ways, noting the tightly closed shutters. More than one house he passed had a native guarding the door with weapon in hand. They were the bigger ones; Mando guessed the male members of the household. They glared at him with suspicion, and Mando wondered what was wrong with this planet -- or the festival. 

He walked back to the main strip, watching the revelers more closely. Most were groups of men or women, dancing or walking in clumps. Now that he was paying attention, the men felt like hunters to Mando, watching the groups of women with eagerness. The women seemed vigilant as well, but their clumping felt defensive. 

The only mixed-gender group were families; Mando noted that each family had two adult women and one man no matter the number of children. The polygamy didn’t bother him, but vibe he was getting now turned his stomach.

Back at the spaceport, he stepped into the dock and stopped at The Kid’s shrill scream. Dropping the food, he dashed into their port, blaster drawn. He stopped when he saw the child standing in the sand, uninjured, while Parjii crouched on the top of the _Crest_. Seeing him, she grinned and put a finger against her lips, but The Kid followed his gaze up to her and pointed.

“Found!” Parjii said, laughing. 

The Kid shrieked again and she fell off the _Crest_ , somehow turning in the air to land head-first.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So chapter 2 is the largest of the three. I didn't really want that, but the breaks in the story didn't line up well otherwise. I hope you enjoy; the final chapter should come in a couple of days.

“Parjii!” Mando yelped, dashing forward to kneel next to her. Purple blood stained the stone ground as he turned her unresponsive body. “Shab!” he snarled, picking her up and carrying her aboard. He set her down and examined the wound, scowling at the gash on the side of her skull. 

This was beyond his skill and supplies. Fashioning a quick bandage, he picked her up and turned to The Kid. “C’mon,” he told the little one, pausing only to be sure he was actually following.

Colk answered his office door after three sharp kicks, taking in unconscious Twi’lek and the toddling child in one glance. “Nearest healer,” Mando demanded, trying not to think about how he was going to pay for this if he couldn’t work for four more days.

“Anvard’s house,” Colk replied, stepping out and closing his door. “Here, I’ll take you. What happened?”

Mando opened his mouth to say  _ she fell _ , but as he considered it, that wasn’t true. “I don’t know,” he said honestly, feeling wet warmth invading his armor padding. “I went to get food.” 

“Was she attacked?” Colk asked sharply.

“No, it was an accident, I think,” he said. Colk visibly relaxed and was silent for the rest of their winding path through the city. The Kid kept up in his own way, managing to stay within a few feet of the hurrying adults. Mando didn’t know how he managed, but he kept track of The Kid and the path through the city.

Colk stopped at a house, waving at the man guarding it. “Anvard,” he greeted, “is your  _ frela _ about?”

“Yes, of course,” he native said, stepping back and opening the door. “She’s inside.”

The entryway had two couches, an unlit brazier, and a heavy curtain hiding the rest of the house. Mando stepped in as Anvard called over his shoulder, “Netri, patients.”

A native woman stepped from behind the curtain, giving Mando a smile that managed to be reassuring despite its unnatural width. She glanced at Parjii, turned her head and looked closely at her wound, then waved to Mando. “Bring her.”

Beyond the curtain, another woman bustled around an exam table, laying out a white sheet. “Here,” Netri commanded, patting the sheet. “Ahada, please get the wound kit.”

Mando set Parjii down and stepped back. The Kid didn’t, crowding the exam bed and reaching up. Before Mando could grab him, Netri’s assistant all-but tripped over him. “Hello,” the woman chirped, bending down and picking The Kid up. “Watch out, sweetie.”

“I’ll take him,” Mando said, glad he had something to do. A sense of helplessness swept through him; Parjii’s skin had taken on a pale, ice-blue sheen that made her look dead. Only the rise and fall of her chest assured him that she hadn’t passed.

The two women bent over Parjii, murmuring to each other intensely in their own language. The Kid wiggled and squirmed in his arms, reaching toward the unconscious Twi’lek. “She’ll be okay,” Mando said softly, rubbing the child’s back. The motion drew his eye down to the bright purple stain on his vambraces. He dropped his arm to his side, hoping that The Kid didn’t notice.

After a few moments, the two women washed the wound and bandaged it. “Your friend will recover,” Netri said briskly, giving him a gentle smile. Glancing down at The Kid, she added, “Your  _ hara  _ will be okay, little one.”

“Thank you,” Mando said. 

The two women exchanged an unreadable glance. “She should stay with us tonight,” Netri told him. 

“So we can observe her overnight,” Ahada said hastily, as if afraid he would refuse.

Leaving Parjii in their care would be preferred but Mando wasn’t sure if their motives were entirely altruistic. “I can’t pay for that,” he told them bluntly. 

“Perhaps we can make an arrangement.” Ahada jumped at the opening he gave her. “Our husband, he needs help during the festival.”

“Help doing what?” Mando asked cautiously. 

“This is hard for outsiders to understand,” Netri said softly, “but without children, our union isn’t final. During the festival, another can take us and marry us. And if he gets me with child, Anvard can’t steal us back next cycle.”

“His father is gone, his brother defending his own home. He has no one to help him,” Ahada finished.

“You need a guard,” Mando said, thinking quickly. Without Parjii, he’d have to keep the womprat with him. “Is someone actively seeking to steal you away?”

Another quick look full of silent communication between the two women. “Yes,” Netri finally said. “A man threatened Anvard last week, but it’s because I’m a medic. It brings in a lot of income for our family. Please, we’re not asking you to put yourself at risk, but if you guard us during the daytime, Anvard can rest and be ready at night.”

“While I’m working, I’ll need someone to watch The Kid until Parjii is better,” he said.

“I’ll do it.” Ahada chuckled. “It will be good practice for when we have children, and he’s so cute!”

“Deal,” Mando said, relieved that they’d come to an arrangement. “I can start as soon as I’ve shut up the ship.” He’d run off so fast he wasn’t sure he’d locked it, and with the emergency past, he needed to double-check.

“I’ll go talk to Anvard, if you want to start today.” Netri nodded to Ahada. “You stay in here.”

Mando walked back to the ship, The Kid wiggling in his arms the entire way. “Calm down, she’ll be fine,” he grumbled at the tiny alien. 

When he got to the port, he found Colk sitting outside. “Hey, saw you didn’t lock up, thought you wouldn’t mind if I sat here,” he said in greeting.

“I thought the port isn’t responsible for losses?” Mando asked, wondering why this guy was being so helpful. 

“We have a reputation for being safe,” Colk said with a shrug. “The more people feel like they can relax here, the more they stay and the more credits I make.”

It wasn’t that Mando was cynical. He just knew that nothing was given for free. Colk’s response was enough for the suspicion to fade. “Thank you. What do you know about the natives and their marriages?”

Colk chuckled as he stood and folded his chair. “They’re kinda funny. Apparently, it isn’t a marriage without kids, until someone is born to the family, they’re just living together.”

“They all seem to be polygamous,” Mando noted.

“Not in the way you mean. They have three genders,” Colk replied. “Only two reproduce together, but the third gender is the one who can nurture the young one. I’m not sure exactly how it goes.” He shrugged. “Seems unwise to have two wives, but that’s the way they’re built, as I understand it.”

“I agreed to guard the healer’s house,” Mando said, watching closely for a reaction. 

“Kind of you,” Colk said. 

“It was a business arrangement,” Mando replied before Colk got the wrong idea. 

“Ah. Your friend okay?” Colk asked, his tone remaining friendly.

“Yes, thank you,” Mando said politely and left the conversation before the man could continue it. Mando appreciated all his help, but at the same time, he wondered at his motives. 

The  _ Crest _ had been left wide open, and Mando silently cursed his carelessness. Setting down the child, he ordered, “Wait here until I clear it.” Mando drew his blaster and hurried aboard, searching it top to bottom. It didn’t take long, but he was still surprised that The Kid listened to him and remained outside. 

Stepping back out, he started, “It’s clear, Kid--” He cut himself off when he realized that The Kid wasn’t at the ramp. Instead, the child had walked around the  _ Crest _ and stood staring at the purple blood staining the ground. “Hey,” Mando said, kneeling next to the wee one and resting a hand on his shoulder. “She’s going to be okay.”

The child looked up at him sadly and leaned against his thigh, his small frame taut with some great emotion. Mando gave him a moment, then picked him up. The child pressed against him, and Mando rubbed the small back, wishing he had the words to calm the kid. 

The food remained where he’d dropped it, and Mando managed to recover enough to feed the little one. He could wait until tonight. After locking up, he hurried back to the healer’s house. Anvard waited for him, a frown on his face. “I don’t know if I can trust you,” the head of the household said bluntly as Mando stopped in front of him.

“I owe you one,” he said gruffly. 

“Yes,” Anvard said, and nodded. “All you have to do is stand here and discourage invaders.” 

“I can do that,” Mando assured him. 

Anvard nodded and went inside. Mando glanced down at The Kid and wondered if his agreement regarding the babysitting would be honored. A moment later, Anvard came back out and said, “Ahada said she’s watching the little one, too.” He held out his arms.

Mando hesitated a second, then passed him The Kid. “First child?” Anvard asked with a smile.

“Yeah,” Mando said honestly.

“I’ve heard it gets easier,” Anvard replied, smiling at the child as he carefully cradled him. He was big enough that his hands seemed to engulf him. “I look forward to my first.”

“So I hear,” Mando replied.

“I’ll have Netri wake me if there’s a fight,” Anvard told him. Mando didn’t reply; the guy was clearly nervous and there was nothing he could say to appease his worries. Finally, Anvard said, “I’ll be back at sunfall.”

Guard duty often felt tedious, and today was no different. Mando had no problem keeping his mind on his duty, but he spent most of the shift wishing he could be hunting quarry.The fact that no one was hiring for that job only irritated him more.

This far from the main street, the sounds of the festival were a mere suggestion of noise. No revelers came down the street, only the occasional family clutching food or gifts.

Before sunset, Anvard emerged again, nodding to him. “I’m getting dinner. Want something?”

“No thanks,” Mando said, glad that his shift was almost done. 

“Oh, and your  _ hara _ is doing better,” Anvard added with a smile. “She’s awake and talking.”

“Parjii is just a friend,” Mando lied. He wasn’t sure what a  _ hara _ was, but even ‘friend’ was stretching the definition of their relationship.

Anvard stopped and looked puzzled. “She cares for your child,” he said as if that clarified his confusion. 

He could try to explain, but the more Anvard lingered here, the longer it would take for his shift to be done. “It’s a long story,” he offered, hoping that the other man caught the subtle hint that he didn’t want to talk about it anymore.

“Alright.” Anvard waved one of his hands in dismissal and walked away from the house. Ten minutes after he’d disappeared around the corner, a group of men sauntered down the street. Mando watched them approach, making no effort to hide his scrutiny. The group didn’t hide their own assessing stares. The question of whether they could take him was written clearly in their faces, and Mando readied himself for a fight. 

They didn’t jump him; perhaps their internal calculus had come out his favor, or maybe they were all show. Whatever their reason, they passed him by with nothing more aggressive than a sneer. Mando relaxed a little as they disappeared around the next corner. Perhaps that had been a random walk-by, but he found the timing a little suspicious. 

When Anvard returned, Mando was certain that encounter hadn’t been random, and the alien’s deep frown when Mando reported it confirmed his feelings. After describing the group, he asked, “Was that the man who threatened you?”

“No,” Anvard said quietly. Before Mando could ask who it was, the man stepped into his own house and shut the door. 

The sky had turned a bruised purple and only a slim line of gold remained on the horizon when Anvard came back out of the house. “My turn,” he said. “Netri would like to talk to you about your  _ ha _ \-- your friend.”

Inside, Mando found Parjii curled up on her side, The Kid sleeping in her arms. She looked much better; the bandage on her head was clear and her color closer to her normal azure. His foot scuffed on the floor, and she opened her eyes. Seeing the slight smile she gave him loosened the knot of worry in his gut. “How are you feeling?” he murmured.

“Head hurt. Thakhid help.” As she gazed down at The Kid fondly, Mando realized she thought the child’s name was Thakhid. 

Dropping that issue for now, he said, “You okay to stay here tonight?”

“ _ Ka _ ,” she murmured. “Thakhid stay too?”

“No,” Mando said, his voice coming out more gruffly than he intended. Her expression blanked into emotionlessness, and he squished the guilt that tried to surface. He almost explaining it wasn’t safe here, but it seemed insulting to say it was not safe for the kid but safe enough for her, as if she weren’t as important. She wasn’t as important as the child, but her grasp of Basic didn’t seem strong enough to really explain. 

“Hello,” Netri said as she stepped back into the care room. “Parjii made an amazing recovery today. I think that she’s past the point of danger of concussion but I’ll still keep her tonight to be sure, as we agreed.”

Mando nodded. “That’s fine. Can she return to the  _ Crest _ tomorrow?”

“Of course,” Netri answered, giving Parjii a smile. That smile faltered when Parjii didn’t return it, and her tone shifted to brisk as she turned back to Mando. “She’s healed so well today.”

“Thank you. Parjii, do you need anything?” Mando asked.

“No.” The response was subdued, and he felt another pang of guilt when she kissed The Kid on his head. 

He collected the sleeping child, who fussed in his arms but didn’t wake up. “Good night,” he told her, and left.

The night passed without a crisis, aside from The Kid waking up far too soon since he’d fallen asleep so early. Grumpy from dealing with a grumpy child, Mando’s mood didn’t improve when he got back to Anvard’s house and found Parjii had gone back to the  _ Crest _ alone. “She said she felt fine,” Anvard said with a shrug. “Are you ready to start today?”

“Yes. Since I don’t know where Parjii is, can your family watch the child again?” Mando sighed. He’d probably see her again soon; she didn't’ have the access code for the port or the ship.

“Yes,” Anvard nodded, and Mando set The Kid down, waving for him to go inside the house. Anvard held the door for the tiny child, then nodded to Mando and shut the door. 

Today, Anvard didn’t leave the house at all, but a familiar gang of locals wandered down the street in the afternoon, their arms swinging as they strutted. It was the only excitement in an otherwise dull day, and Mando almost wished they’d jump him today. 

Near dusk, Parjii showed up at Anvard’s, wearing a green dress Mando had never seen. “How are you?” he said, ignoring the new outfit and noting that aside from a bandage on her head, she looked normal. 

“I fine,” she said, giving him a polite smile. The expression was a far cry from her usual warm greeting, and he guessed she was still upset with him. “Where Thakhid?”

“He’s inside,” Mando said, unsurprised when she entered the house without another word. Cursing his lack of Huttese, Mando pondered what to do about her while impatiently waiting for Anvard. Parjii actually came out first, The Kid in her arms, and started up the street. “Parjii, wait.” The command stopped her and she turned to look at him. “You can risk yourself if you want. But The Kid stays here.”

She didn't look happy but nodded and moved to sit by the doorway. Settling the child in her lap, she started to sing to him softly. She had a pleasant voice, even though he couldn’t understand a word. None of that mattered, because the child clearly loved it, watching her and cooing in time with her.

After Anvard had dismissed them, Mando led the way through the market. He bartered some food for their dinner, letting the silence hang between the two adults. At the ship, he lowered the ramp and said, “People are hunting The Kid. Actively hunting him. To kill him.” 

He didn’t have to ask if she comprehended; the stark fear on her face and the protective shift of her arms around the child answered for her. “I do what I do, to protect him, and no one is more important.”

“ _ Ka _ ,” she whispered.

“Now, who gave you the dress?” he asked, hardening his voice.

“Gave?” she blinked and shook her head. “I buy.”

“How?”

She pulled out a small handful of credits from her pocket and offered it to him. He took it and counted it. “Where did you get these credits?”

“I make,” she told him.

“How?”

“Sing. Dance. For festival.” She raised her chin, pride shining in her golden eyes. She curled his fingers over the credits, her skin warm through his gloves. “For you.”

“What?” he asked, startled.

“For  _ Crest _ ,” she clarified. “For me be here. Food. Eh…” She silently struggled for a word, then shrugged. “I pay you.”

He started to refuse; he didn’t need help keeping the  _ Crest _ running. Opening his fingers, he silently counted the money again. It wouldn’t put a dent in his fuel costs but it probably represented hours of work for her. Her offering wasn't enough to actually help but there were ways to handle this that wouldn't strip away her pride in her efforts.

Mando put the credits back in her hand. “Keep it, and buy food for the  _ Crest _ . Or toys for The Kid.”

Confusion reigned for a moment; then a delighted smile lit up her features. “ _ Ka! _ ” she exclaimed, putting the credits away. Beaming, she said something to the child, then glanced at Mando. “I put bed.”

“Good night,” he said, relieved he’d managed to repair the friction between them -- and pleased they were united on the importance of The Kid.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final part to this story. I'm playing around with the idea of interludes because apparently my writing schedule wasn't tight enough. Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

The last morning of the festival came far too slowly for Mando’s taste. Anvard’s wives, or whatever they were, seemed happy to watch The Kid while he guarded the door, and Parjii spent her days earning her small amounts of credits. Every evening, she met Mando with food, or candy, or toys for the child. The Kid was overjoyed, of course -- he started to anticipate her arrival. 

As they left the _Crest_ on the last morning of the festival, Mando stopped her to say, “As soon as the festival wraps, I’m going to look for work for some more credits, and we’re leaving when I’m done. Understood?”

“ _Ka,_ ” she said, then waved before disappearing into the crowds. Mando noted that there were more people today, and the energy had reached a new, frenetic level. He debated going after Parjii and keeping her close, but decided she was safe. 

That assessment changed when he arrived at Anvard’s and saw the caved-in door. He pulled his blaster and turned his body so that The Kid was hidden behind him. The care room and entryway had both been trashed, with broken furniture and blaster burns on the walls. 

He found Anvard in the next room, a large hexagonal area that seemed to be both a family room and a kitchen and dining room. The big alien sat at the table, his head in one of his large hands. “Are you okay?” Mando asked as the native glanced up at him.

“No. They took Betri and Ahada,” he said gruffly. “They came in the night, and I wasn’t able to stop them.”

“The man who threatened you?” Mando asked.

“No, a gang who kidnap _hara_ and _frela_ for ransom.” Anvard took a ragged breath and held out a rough piece of paper. Mando took it but couldn’t read it. “I have until sunset to pay that, or he’ll offer the ransom to another. I have enough to ransom one or the other, but not both of them.” He snorted bitterly. “Your services are no longer needed--”

The alien stood suddenly, staring at Mando. “What do you do? When you’re not guarding my door? What are you trained to do?”

“I hunt,” Mando said, seeing where it was going.

“If I pay you the half-ransom I have, will you get them back for me?” Anvard asked, hope burning in his expression.

“Yes,” Mando said. “Draw me a map to where they headquarter.”

“It has to be before sunset.” Anvard shifted nervously as he started to sketch out a map. “If they’re not in my house, they aren’t my spouses.”

“They’ll be here,” Mando vowed. Taking the map, he went on the hunt.

His first quarry wasn’t hard to find. Mando prowled the main streets for less than ten minutes before fixating on the largest crowd and pushing through them to see Parjii and three other women dancing. She wasn’t bad, he noted as he interrupted the performance by laying a hand on her shoulder. 

Parjii spun, alarmed until she saw it was him. Drawing her away and ignoring the dirty looks from the other women, he explained what had happened and said, “Get back to the _Crest._ Buy whatever you need before you get there, because we might be leaving quickly.”

“Need access,” she said softly as he passed The Kid to her. 

He hesitated, and she saw it. He expected anger again but she simply waited. Swallowing, he told her the codes for both the port and the _Crest_. She didn’t know how to fly it, so she couldn’t steal it, and hopefully Colk would stop her if she tried to strip it. He couldn’t take The Kid with him on this bounty, and he trusted that she wouldn’t hurt him. “Be careful,” he told her in parting. “I’m about to kick the ronzo nest here.”

“ _Ka._ Kick one for me,” she told him with a fierce smile. 

Blinking, he said, “Sure.” He’d seen her attack someone, but he’d never seen that bright light of anger in her. Filing that note away, he turned and hurried through the market. While he wanted to scout the location first, he felt the press of time on him, too. 

Still, he felt eager and ready, pleased to be doing something rather than waiting. Not just for the credits, but for the rightness of this action. It always made it easier when he liked what he was doing, too.

The building Anvard had sent him to was well-back from the main streets, and he wasn’t exactly inconspicuous. A discreet climb up a nearby building put him above the street, and more able to move around without being seen.

Anvard’s map was accurate, in that it showed one entrance. He had failed to accurately depict the four guards on the door, or the six-man team walking the perimeter, or the sheer size of the building. Most of the interior was open and empty, based on the scans Mando's helmet provided, though there was a cluster of people in the middle -- probably the prisoners and another ten guards. This was more dangerous than he thought. Mando mentally shrugged; Anvard hadn’t deceived him, but he clearly wasn’t a tactician; he’d also failed to mention that building lay in the shadow of the massive train depot.

Mando gave himself until midday to work out a plan of attack. He hadn’t seen a change of guards, or anyone entering or leaving the building. Several men had approached one-at-a-time, and been sent away. 

As the sun reached its peak, Mando pulled out his grappling hook and fired at an arm of a loading crane. It didn’t hover over the building, but the angle meant he’d swing over it. He eyed the distance again, and let out two more feet of line, and jumped.

He came in a little low, requiring him to tuck his feet up before landing on the roof. He cut off the line and tied it loosely to a chimney pipe. The only entrance from the roof was a wide door that probably allowed cargo to be moved from the building easily. Some bantha’s ass had welded it shut, and he considered his options. Trying to cut it open would draw attention and gunfire -- unless something else drew their attention away from the ceiling.

He’d just decided that he was going to have to resort to some grenades when he realized that the hinges were on the outside of the door. After that, once he’d found a length of metal on the roof, he had his entry plan. 

~ * ~ * ~

Netri tried to remain hopeful, but she knew what was coming: a new husband, and possibly not a good man like Anvard. Ahada leaned against her, the two women drawing what comfort they could from one another. Netri wished her hands were free to hug her. Though she hated that her friend and _hara_ was with her, in her heart of hearts Netri was glad she wasn’t doing this alone. 

“It’s getting late,” one of the guards said, slouching on one of the crates they were using as seating. “I think I’m going to win my bet.”

“Come off it,” another said, “Anvard’s had a healer for a year, he’s rolling in the money. He’ll pay.”

Ahada sniffled softly and Netri rested her head on her shoulder. Yes, they made money as the local healer, but they had tried to be generous. Sometimes, people couldn’t pay, and they had allowed people to owe them for treatment instead of paying up front.

An explosion rocked the warehouse, and the two women huddled together as smoke and dust filled the air. The guards shouted and ran toward the disturbance. “What’s happening?” Ahada cried. 

“I don’t know, but get up,” Netri said firmly. She didn’t know how to fight and had never dreamed of doing it, but she was desperate. “We might get to run for it.”

A square of light fell on them and the two women looked up. Parjii’s _Firith_ dropped on a cord from above, landing behind them. He pulled a knife and with two sharp motions, freed them. “Stay down,” he ordered, unsnapping the harness on the massive blaster strapped to his back. 

Netri knelt, then lunged back up long enough to pull Ahada down too. The Mandalorian marched away from them, toward the alarmed, shouting guards. His blaster popped twice, and two men just disappeared, their clothing and weapons falling to the floor. He dodged to the right, and Netri crawled to the other side of the boxes to see him casually roll two small cylinders into the guards who’d finally noticed him. Then he disappeared into the shadows, just as the flash-bangs exploded.

Netri yelped as the bright lights ruined her vision and the roar filled her ears. Hands grabbed her, and Netri flinched until she realized it was Ahada pulling her away. Together, they found sanctuary in the dark, with Netri listening to the dull roaring in her ears. 

The white noise in her ears hadn’t quite faded when Ahada pulled on her arm. The two women stood up to find the Mandalorian standing near the boxes. The line he’d climbed down on swayed slightly as he motioned to it. 

Ahada put her mouth close to Netri’s ear and shouted, “Climb it!” At least, Netri thought she was shouting, though it didn’t sound that loud. That was when her brain finally caught up to the events that were happening.

They had been rescued.

~ * ~ * ~

Anvard pulled Mando into a rough hug, stating thanks over and over. “I don’t know how to repay you,” he said.

“We agreed to terms,” Mando replied with a large step back, hoping that Anvard wasn’t about to renege on his word. 

“Yes, of course!” Anvard cried, pressing the bag into his hand. Releasing the armored warrior, he pulled his spouses close. “It just seems so little.”

From the feel of the bag, it wasn’t a small amount of credits, and Mando felt a stab of envy that Anvard loved so much. From the way the women leaned against him, that love was returned, and the envy redoubled. 

_This is the way._ The thought of his Creed steadied him, reminded him of what he gained when others showed him what he denied himself. “I’m going to stick around until dark,” he said. “One rescue today is enough.”

Netri pulled away from her husband to hug him. Mando dodged her embrace and she offered one of her hands instead. When he took it, she said, “Thank you for all you’ve done for my family. I wish you best of luck with yours.”

It was easier to nod and say, “Thank you” than argue that men like him didn’t get families. 

**Author's Note:**

> Please let a comment or a kudo if you like. You can find me on Tumblr as deprough, where I usually quote a line or two from my WIP as part of my daily accountability. Thank you for reading, and please enjoy.


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